President's Tip of the Week

Playing it by the Book
(2/7/08)

Toastmasters International is invested in the maintaining of successful clubs, and the way that a club becomes successful is through the success of its members. One of the keys to having successful members is through the use of the manuals. Each manual presents a proven system to build speaking skills. In the Competent Communicator, you are led through a series of projects, which if studied and executed as designed, will build a solid foundation for your development as a professional speaker. In the Advanced Communications manuals, you will develop advanced skills that rely on successful integration of the CC skills into your repertoire as a speaker.

There are three components specified by Toastmasters International for each manual speech:

The Goal: This is summarized in the title of the project and elaborated on in the Executive Summary (colored sidebar on the first page of the project).

The Objectives: These are summarized in the colored sidebar. Please also read the Evaluation Guide for your project.

The Time: This is specified in the colored sidebar following the Objectives.

According to Toastmasters International, "All project objectives must be met, including time" in order for you to receive credit for a manual speech. If you have any questions or if you need to alter any of these components, including the time requirement for the speech, you must consult with the Vice President of Education in advance of the meeting.

There are occasions when the time requirement can be changed, but these will always involve giving a manual speech at a non-Toastmasters meeting or function. More about that in the next tip. Stay tuned!